Highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia that don't require a college degree
From the moment they first set foot on campus, today's high-school students are inundated with messages about the importance of receiving a college education. They hear it from their guidance counselors, teachers, parents, family members, neighbors, coaches—the list goes on and on. While graduation from a four-year college can certainly work wonders for students' future careers, it's not necessary for all fields—something admissions officers and guidance counselors sometimes fail to mention.
To find the highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree, Stacker consulted the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook to compile a list of all jobs that don't require higher education. All professions that listed a high-school diploma, some college education (without a degree conferred), postsecondary non-degree award, or no formal education requirements for entry-level positions were considered. Jobs that didn't list any entry-level education requirement were excluded, as were job titles that grouped several positions together. Jobs are ranked by 2019 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to discover the highest-paying jobs in Philadelphia that don’t require a college degree.
You may also like: 100 Highest paying jobs in America

#50. Model makers, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $63,520
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,420
- Employment: 4,300
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#49. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $63,950
- Employment: 1,770
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,310
- Employment: 128,190
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#48. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $64,190
- Employment: 1,030
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#47. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $64,270
- Employment: 1,330
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 60,650
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#46. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,430
- Employment: 1,070
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,480
- Employment: 131,300
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#45. Commercial divers
- Annual mean salary: $65,210
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,100
- Employment: 3,420
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#44. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $65,960
- Employment: 10,410
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $66,190
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#42. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $66,680
- Employment: 2,020
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#41. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $66,900
- Employment: 7,070
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,800
- Employment: 442,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#40. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,230
- Employment: 33,690
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#39. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $68,590
- Employment: 1,050
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,830
- Employment: 40,370
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#38. Chemical plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $68,840
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,710
- Employment: 28,840
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#37. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Annual mean salary: $70,350
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,240
- Employment: 13,750
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#36. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $71,050
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,050
- Employment: 14,410
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#35. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,070
- Employment: 9,510
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#34. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,170
- Employment: 1,610
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,170
- Employment: 76,570
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#33. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $72,040
- Employment: 5,000
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,210
- Employment: 405,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#32. Airfield operations specialists
- Annual mean salary: $73,480
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,620
- Employment: 10,680
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#31. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $74,040
- Employment: 1,880
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#30. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $74,630
- Employment: 7,700
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#29. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $75,120
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,810
- Employment: 52,400
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#27 (tie). Athletes and sports competitors
- Annual mean salary: $75,450
- Employment: 450
National
- Annual mean salary: $93,140
- Employment: 11,330
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#27 (tie). Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Annual mean salary: $75,450
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,420
- Employment: 33,370
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#26. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $75,560
- Employment: 2,800
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#25. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $75,920
- Employment: 4,060
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- Employment: 120,900
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#24. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $76,030
- Employment: 8,800
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#23. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $76,180
- Employment: 8,620
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#22. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $76,630
- Employment: 10,710
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,370
- Employment: 688,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#21. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $78,050
- Employment: 21,750
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#20. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $79,720
- Employment: 27,130
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $80,630
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#18. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $80,760
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 22,650
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#17. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $81,180
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#16. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $82,610
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#15. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $83,420
- Employment: 8,140
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#14. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $83,840
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,040
- Employment: 15,820
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $83,860
- Employment: 1,530
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#12. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $86,700
- Employment: 710
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#11. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Annual mean salary: $86,710
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,650
- Employment: 18,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#10. Ship engineers
- Annual mean salary: $87,020
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,540
- Employment: 8,410
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#9. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $88,200
- Employment: 540
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#8. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $90,010
- Employment: 3,490
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#7. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $93,560
- Employment: 1,920
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#6. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $99,180
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $101,580
- Employment: 6,040
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#4. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $102,200
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,910
- Employment: 10,770
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#3. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $103,890
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,230
- Employment: 3,540
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $104,960
- Employment: 2,410
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $120,950
- Employment: 2,380
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent



